25 Things I Love About You
by Gravity-Chan
Summary: For her birthday, Gray decides to write Juvia a book depicting twenty-five things that he loves about her.
1. Voice

**Hello all! Welcome to my newest story! I hope you all enjoy it. This is my first ever Gruvia fic. I like the idea of Gray being a secret romantic, so this fic is going to be fun for me to write. The basic idea is that Gray wants to write Juvia a book for her birthday, but he's having a little trouble. It's going to be a series of twenty-five short chapters, all connected, about Gray and Juvia. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**

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><p>Gray sighed as he tapped the eraser of his pencil against the surface of the bar restlessly. In front of him sat a blank piece of lined paper, which he was now glaring at with the intensity he only got when he was fighting Natsu.<p>

Mirajane glanced at the dark-haired mage from where she was topping off Cana's beer… again, and frowned thoughtfully. "Whatcha working on, Gray?" she asked, leaning her elbows on the counter and resting her chin in her hands. Gray had been sitting in the same spot for the last hour, and he hadn't even bothered to look up when Natsu challenged him to a fight. Even the most oblivious members of the guild had noticed Gray's odd behavior.

Gray's frown deepened and he dropped the pencil, groaning softly. "I'm trying to do something nice for Juvia for her birthday, but this whole writing thing is a lot harder than I thought," he confessed, brushing his bangs from his eyes. "Lucy makes it look so easy!"

Mirajane smiled knowingly. Gray and Juvia had been dating for seven months now, a feat only rivaled by the nine months Natsu and Lucy had been together. Then again, there was always Gajeel and Levy, who Mira suspected had secretly been going out for much longer.

The pretty barmaid shook her head quickly, bringing her thoughts back to Gray. He looked troubled as he doodled random designs on his paper, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Maybe you should ask Lucy for advice?" she suggested. "I'm sure she'd be more than happy to give you a few tips."

Gray shrugged, standing up and gathering up his papers. "Maybe I will, later," he replied, but Mira could see by the stubborn look in his eye that he didn't want anyone's help with this. She smiled to herself as she watched him head towards the entrance of the guild, unceremoniously stripping his button-up shirt in the process. He would be back for it later, she decided.

Beside her, Cana made a noise that sounded suspiciously like the crack of a whip.

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><p>Gray let his head fall onto his desk with a dull thump. His paper was still blank. Think, Gray. It can't be that hard to put thoughts down on paper, he chastised himself. He lifted his head, pushing his bangs back with his fingers, and lifted his pencil. Everything he imagined sounded really sappy. Then again, Juvia would probably like that.<p>

His idea was to write Juvia a book of sorts, depicting 25 aspects of her that he loved. He had gotten the idea out of a cheesey magazine, thoughtfully noting that Juvia loved these kinds of things, but now that it came down to actually making it happen, he was at a loss.

Think, moron. What do you like most about Juvia? he thought to himself. That was a stupid question. He liked a lot of things about Juvia. But what was it that made him want to be with her?

Grabbing his pencil, he got ready to write, but at that moment, the door to his and Juvia's apartment opened. "Gray, I'm home!" Juvia called from the doorway. Gray had insisted, upon asking her to be his girlfriend, that she drop the honorifics around him. Of course it had taken her a while to get used to the idea, but she took to it pretty quickly, stating that she enjoyed the familiarity it brought.

Hastily gathering up the evidences of his work, Gray placed the stack of papers in the drawer of his desk and locked it with a key that he slid into his pocket. Then he stood up and went to the door to greet Juvia. She smiled prettily when she saw him and gave him a hug, and Gray leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Hey. How was your job?" he asked.

Juvia shrugged. "It was good. Juvia enjoyed going on a job with Lisanna again. She hasn't partnered with Juvia since the S-class exams," Juvia replied, in her typical third-person point of view. To most it would seem weird, but Gray had become fond of her way of speaking. He locked the thought away mentally, reminding himself to write that down. "Oh! Juvia almost forgot, she brought home a souvenir," Juvia exclaimed, digging into her bag and bringing out an object, wrapped carefully in paper. "The client gave this to Juvia as part of her reward."

Gray leaned forward to see what the object was. It was a carefully wrapped ice sculpture, in the shape of a fern, no bigger than Juvia's palm. "It's made of ice similar to the ice from the Sun Village," Juvia explained. "It never melts, no matter how hot it gets. Juvia thought you might like it."

Gray smiled and gently took the object from her. It was cool to the touch; not quite like his magic, but familiar. "Your employer made this?" he asked, holding the tiny sculpture up to the light. "Wow, that's impressive."

"Juvia thinks so too," the bluenette said. "She thought you could put it on your desk, or in the bedroom."

Gray nodded in agreement. "I'll put it on my desk," he decided. Juvia clapped her hands and gave him a broad smile before announcing she was going to take a shower and get changed. As she quickly gathered some clothing from her dresser and went into the bathroom, Gray retreated to his desk once more, opening his drawer with the key and pulling out his paper and pencil once more. When he heard the water in the tub begin to run, he set his hand down and began to write.

"Voice.

I love the way you speak. Although other people may find it a little strange, when you talk in the third person, it reminds me of how unique and special you are. I love you for you, so never change, okay?

Gray sighed softly. It was really cheesey. Really cheesey. But Juvia would still love it. She would love anything he gave her, no doubt. With a soft smile, he replaced the papers in his drawer like he always did, placing the sculpture, which he had been holding in his other hand, on his desk, beside a photo of him and Juvia that had been taken by Mirajane after they officially became a couple. The white-haired barmaid had insisted in setting the moment in stone, and had mailed him a copy of the photo. It depicted himself and Juvia together at one of the tables in the guild. Gray was looking away instead of at the camera, blushing, while Juvia clung to his arm with a radiant smile on her face.

Her smile. That was another thing he loved about her.

Juvia exited the bathroom, her wet hair woven into a braid over her right shoulder, and followed Gray's gaze, smiling at the photo. She laid her hand on Gray's shoulder. "Juvia remembers this photo," she murmured, picking up the picture frame. "This was the happiest day of Juvia's life."

The comment made Gray blush, and he covered his face with his hands with a soft groan. "Juvia, you're embarrassing me," he complained.

Juvia just giggled and leaned down to kiss Gray's cheek, replacing the photo where it had been before. "Juvia likes it when you blush," she replied teasingly. she straightened up with a small stretch. "Juvia is going to the guild. Do you want to come with her?"

Gray nodded, standing up. "I have to go find my shirt anyway," he sighed, remembering that he had left it back at the guild. Juvia laughed, taking Gray's elbow, and tugged him out of the apartment.

**Unbeknownst to him, Gray had a smile on his face. **


	2. Smile

**Sorry this took so long to update. While I'm working on other stories, this should update about every week. Thank you so much for your kind reviews! I hope you enjoy this update! It's short, but I said the chapters would be short when I started this.**

**jessicuhxoo: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

**Ice and Thunder: Thanks so much! I thought it would be a cute, original idea. Gray's secret sappy side x3**

**NudgeThePyro: :3**

**mgaa: Thank you! c;**

**StormWarrior88: Thank you! I hope you continue supporting this!**

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><p>The couple entered the guild not long after Lucy and Natsu did. Natsu was sitting at the bar with Lucy, complaining about being bored while Lucy ignored him in favor of talking with Mirajane. The pretty barmaid was deep in conversation with Lucy, her arms gesturing here and there, a habit she used when she was excited.<p>

Gray and Juvia made their way over to the bar, taking seats beside Natsu and Lucy. "What're you two talking about?" Gray asked, leaning his elbows on the bar top to see around the pink-haired dragon slayer, who was currently sprawled out atop the bar and groaning.

Mirajane's eyes flicked between Gray and Juvia, and she smiled. "Nothing~" she replied in a sing-song voice, clasping her hands behind her back and giving him her most innocent look. Gray's face paled; he knew exactly what they had been talking about. Mira jane grinned devilishly, leaning on the bar. "What can I do for you two?" she asked.

"Juvia would like a glass of water," Juvia said, smiling at Lucy around the men. The two of them had become quite good friends after Lucy had announced that she and Natsu was now together. It made Gray happy to see she was finally reaching out to girls like Lucy and Lisanna and making friends, although he continued to despise her relationship with Lyon. The white-haired ice mage continued to indirectly vye for Juvia's affection, even though he knew Juvia only wanted to be friends with him. When he had voiced his concerns to him, she had teased him relentlessly.

"But Gray, Juvia likes seeing you jealous!" she had replied with a laugh, which had only succeeded in irritating Gray. He couldn't stay mad at Juvia, though.

Natsu sat up, glowering at Gray. "You're such a sap," he insulted.

Gray grit his teeth, throwing a fist at Natsu and effectively knocking him out of his chair. "You shut your face, bastard!" he yelled. And, of course, the fight turned into an all-out brawl between the two of them and several other guild members who just enjoyed a good fight.

Juvia smiled and shook her head. "Juvia does not understand why Gray always has to fight when they come to the guild," she sighed, but she wasn't upset at all.

Mirajane chuckled lightly, placing a glass of water in front of Juvia. "It's good to see him fighting though. He was pretty mopey while you were out with Lisanna. I think he missed you." she waggled her eyebrows at Juvia.

Juvia blushed flattered. "You think so?" she replied with a shy smile. "That makes Juvia happy."

Mirajane returned the smile with a radiant one of her own before turning her attention to the fight that was still raging. "You might want to drag Gray away before he and Natsu destroy something," she suggested. Juvia sighed and stood up, thanking Mirajane for her kindness before going to drag her boyfriend back home.

Gray kicked a pebble with his foot, sending it rattling down the sidewalk. He had a frown on his face holding his turn, burnt shirt in one arm. "Dammit, that idiot just had to go and ruin my favorite shirt," he grumbled, swearing when a button popped loose and rolled down the street. He decided not to follow it, sighing loudly.

Juvia giggled. "Juvia thought you were very manly, she replied, pausing as they reached the door to their apartment. She turned to Gray. "Juvia has to run to the store quickly, but she'll be right back," she said, quickly leaning up to peck Gray on the cheek. "Juvia should be back in about ten minutes."

Gray sighed. "Okay I'll see you then," he agreed, unlocking the apartment and going inside. He headed to his desk like he did whenever his girlfriend left (Juvia tended to stay at him when she wasn't at the guild) and pulled out his writing papers. He lifted his pencil thinking for a moment, and began to write

"_Smile_

_I love it when you smile. It's so bright and pure and always sincere. You have such a beautiful smile that lights up the room, and it's contagious, because I want to smile too. So I'm going to make sure you keep smiling."_

Gray nodded in satisfaction and stowed the papers back in his desk, locking it and sliding the key into his pocket. Then he sat on his bed and pulled out a book, waiting for her to come home.


	3. Rain

**So sorry this took so long to update! I had a period where I just couldn't think about anything, so I slacked off a little. But now I'm back! I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Gruvia is so cute.**

**jessicuhxoo: Thank you! x3**

**Guest: Thanks! I like to think that Gray has a secret sappy side to him (most people do anyway) and that that's the part he would exhibit around Juvia. It's fun to write him caring about something and not being tsundere xD**

**casperiszename: Thank you! I certainly will keep writing c:**

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><p>Twelve days until her birthday. Gray had marked the day on his bedside calendar, counting down the days until he gave Juvia her gift. It was her special eighteen, and he wanted to make it a good day for her, one that she would remember.<p>

Sighing, Gray pushed himself up from his chair, running a hand through his tousled black hair. "Juvia! Are you ready yet?" he called, an irritated edge to his voice.

Holding her shoes in one hand, the bluenette hurried out of her bedroom. "Sorry, Juvia is running late today," she apologized, sitting down to slip on her flats and smooth her knee-length skirt. She stood up and adjusted her russian-style hat, smiling. "Juvia is ready."

Gray nodded and headed for the door, walking outside. The two of them were on their way to the guild, as they did every morning, though Gray noted that this morning was particularly nice, although Juvia had still brought her umbrella. "Do you really need that?" he asked, pointing to the bundle of waterproof cloth.

"Juvia can tell when it's going to rain," The pretty bluenette stated. "It will probably be raining by the time you and Juvia leave the guild."

Gray frowned, but he didn't press it, just shrugged. "Well, you are made out of water," he reasoned. Then there was the fact that she had been living in the rain until she was seventeen, but he didn't like to bring that up, even though Juvia insisted she didn't mind.

"Juvia never hated the rain," Juvia added, practically reading Gray's mind. It was a little scary how easily she could read him. Up until they had gotten together, he had never really opened up to anyone, but Juvia could tell what he was feeling, read his expressions like a book. Juvia smiled at him, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Juvia never hated the rain," she repeated, swinging the umbrella rhythmically to the sound of her footsteps. "The rain was a part of Juvia. It caused her a lot of pain, but she could never hate it. It gave her strength, and eventually, it led her to you."

Gray blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. Juvia had a habit of being sappy, something he still wasn't used to, even after all the months he had been with her. "I guess so" he replied.

Juvia grinned and pushed open the doors to the guild, turning immediately towards the table where the two of them liked to sit with Natsu and Lucy. "I'm gonna go grab a drink. Want anything?" he asked, jerking his thumb towards the bar, where Mirajane stood chatting with her sister across the bar's surface. Juvia shook her head no, so Gray just shrugged and made his way over. "Be right back," he said quickly, walking towards the bar and taking a seat beside Lisanna.

Mirajane turned her attention to Gray as the raven-haired young man sat down, and offered him a warm smile. "Good morning, Gray," she greeted cheerfully, as she always did. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"The usual," Gray replied, leaning his elbows on the bar's top.

Lisanna smiled at Gray, turning her attention to him. "Mira told me you were working on something secret for Juvia," she said in a quiet voice, so as not to alert her guild members of the conversation. "How is it going?"

"Who told you that?" Gray demanded, although he immediately knew it was Mira. He glared at the back of the barmaid's head. "It was supposed to be a secret. I want it to be a surprise for Juvia," he sighed. "But yeah, it's going alright. There's still twelve days until Juvia's birthday, so I have plenty of time to finish it."

Lisanna smiled, her eyes twinkling knowingly. "I think she'll love it," she assured, taking a sip of her coffee.

Mirajane nodded agreement. "Juvia would love anything you got her, though," she added, sliding a mug of iced tea across the countertop to Gray.

Gray accepted the mug with a quick thank you before standing up. "Thanks, Mira. See you later," he said, turning to head back to his table. Juvia was missing from it, but as he approached, he noticed that her umbrella was still there. Natsu and Lucy had taken their ceremonial places, so he walked up to them. "Have you guys seen Juvia?" he asked.

Lucy nodded. "She said she was going to go out for a minute but that she would be right back," the pretty blonde answered. Natsu just shrugged as if he didn't care, slurping the flames from off of his dinner as if it were tangible, edible food. Gray rolled his eyes and nodded to Lucy, picking up Juvia's umbrella and heading outside.

It was only when he cracked open the guild's doors that he heard the steady sound of the rain beating on the roof of the guild hall. He sighed and opened up the umbrella; Juvia had been right after all. Holding the umbrella over his head, he walked outside, glancing around in search of his girlfriend.

He spotted her, not too far away from the guild, standing in the middle of the rain. She was soaked to the bone, her clothing clinging to her body, her hair sticking to the back of her neck, her arms stretched out above her. "Juvia!" he called. "It's raining!" he was teasing, of course. No one could go out into this kind of weather without realizing what was happening.

Juvia spun around to face Gray, a smile on her face so large and genuine that it made him do a double-take. "Juvia knows," she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand as she made her way over to him. "There hasn't been a rainstorm like this in such a long time, though. Juvia couldn't resist." she ducked under the umbrella, ignoring the protests Gray gave when she hugged him, making the point of the umbrella virtually useless.

"Dammit Juvia! Now I'm all wet!" Gray cursed, attempting to wring out his now-soaked shirt. Juvia just laughed, stealing the umbrella from Gray. "A little water never hurt anyone," she replied, dancing away from her boyfriend and leaving him standing in the middle of the downpour.

Gray growled and chased after Juvia, but on the inside, he was drafting another entry in his book.

"_Rain._

_I love the way you dance in the rain. Not only is it cute, but it shows me that you are stronger than who you used to be. It shows me that you can simultaneously accept what happened in the past and leave it behind, and the smile I see on your face is worth getting soaking wet just to catch a glimpse of."_


	4. Friends

**I'm so sorry this is so late! I've been so wrapped up in writing The Girl Without A Name that I kind of forgot about this xD Next up is On The Inside (Hopefully, if I can stay focused) I hope you like this chapter! There's a lot of silly Nalu in it for a change, and some Gruvia too, or course.**

**YAY: Thank you! Sorry this is so late ^^'**

**mgaa: Thank you, darling**

**jessicuhxoo: hehe, well here you go!**

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><p>"Hm?" Gray glanced up from his book, locking eyes with the blue-haired woman.<p>

Juvia huffed, her hands on her hips. "Juvia _asked_ if you wanted to go shopping with her and Lucy today. Her boyfriend Natsu will also be there," she repeated herself, frowning disapprovingly at her tsundere boyfriend.

Gray let out a little groan, closing the book. "Juvia, you know I love you, but shopping? You know how much I hate shopping, and if that flaming bastard is going to be there, then I definitely don't want to go," he insisted, making a face.

"Juvia already promised Lucy and Natsu that you would come," Juvia added with a smug smile. "Go get ready. Lucy and Natsu will be here in about ten minutes to pick you and Juvia up."

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><p>Shopping, for once, wasn't so bad. Aside from Natsu's complaining (which drove Gray wild) it was pretty low-key. The four mages were going clothes shopping, the most boring thing for a guy but apparently the most fun for a girl, and Lucy dragged Natsu off another side of the store while Juvia leafed through the different shirts on clearance at the back of the building. "What do you think of this one, Gray?" she asked, holding up a light blue top. It had a very revealing v-neck embroidered with beads.<p>

Gray frowned. "I think if you wore that to the guild, I'd have to punch some of the guys there for staring at you," he commented, eyeing the deep v-neck suspiciously.

Juvia looked scandalized, quickly returning the shirt to its place. "You're right. Juvia doesn't want that!" she fretted, and continued looking through them.

A shriek rose from the other side of the shop, and Gray knew it was over. "_NATSU! What do you think you're doing!?"_ it was undoubtedly Lucy's scream, one that made Gray flinch. He knew from experience how violent Lucy could be when she was angry, and for a moment he pitied the poor dragon slayer. Natsu usually deserved the Lucy Kick he received from his uncouth behavior, though, so the feeling was fleeting.

Natsu vaulted one of the clothing racks, hiding behind a very confused Juvia. "Save me!" he pleaded.

Gray just held his hands above his head. "No thanks. Whatever you did to Lucy, I definitely don't want to be in the middle of it," he said, taking a step back and tugging Juvia with him. "And for God's sake, don't use my girlfriend as a shield, you moron! Face up to her like a man!"

"Betrayal!" Natsu cried, pointing at Gray accusingly. He cowered as Lucy finally found him, clutching the charred remains of a shirt in her hands. "How do you accidentally burn the most expensive shirt in the store!" she demanded, and Gra could have sworn she was the devil reincarnate at that moment. "Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost me?!"

"I'm sorry!" Natsu cried, in a not-so-manly way. "I didn't mean it, Lucy! I swear! I love you!"

"Love won't save you now!"

And that's how Gray and Juvia ended up alone in a women's clothing store, which now looked as though a tornado had blown through. Gray leaned down and whispered in Juvia's ear, "Let's get out while we have the chance."

Juvia nodded agreement and the two made a hasty escape. Gray shoved his hands in his pockets, relieved to see that he hadn't lost any of his clothes in the turmoil. He definitely wasn't going back there anytime soon. _I've got some strange friends,_ he thought to himself as he and Juvia headed back down the streets of Magnolia and towards the guild.

"_Friends_

_I love the way you cherish your friends, even when they're being less than ideal. Even though they probably make you want to scream sometimes, you always make up with them. I don't think you realize it, but you really mean a lot to everyone at the guild, especially me."_


	5. Comfort

**I finally sat down and wrote something for the first time since Saturday. Maybe this will help me get over my mild bout of writer's block and my tendency towards a wandering mind so I can actually do something xD Thanks for being so patient! I know the updates of this story are kind of random because I write it on the spot. Once I've written the last few chapters of On The Inside, my posts should be much more regular (I hope).**

**angie1la: Thank you! I'm glad you like it so much!**

**AlexuPenguin: Thanks! x3 I'm kind of surprised people like this so much, because I'm so bad at writing Gray and Juvia.**

**mgaa: Natsu is a dork xDD I love him though, and he and Lucy are super fun to write about, with their love/hate relationship.**

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><p>Juvia sat at the bar, frowning deeply. She was staring at one of the tables in the corner, and she let out a sigh.<p>

Mirajane followed Juvia's gaze, spotting Gray sitting there. The normally lively young man now looked depressed, staring at nothing in particular while he fiddled around with a block of ice meaninglessly. "What's wrong with Gray?" she asked, leaning over to speak with Juvia with a frown.

Juvia just shook her head. "Juvia doesn't know," she admitted. "Ever since this morning, Gray has been so… distant. Juvia doesn't know what's the matter with him."

"Should I go talk to him?" Mirajane asked. "it's not right for him to ignore everything like this."

"No, no," Juvia replied. "It's fine. Juvia is sure that Gray has a reason for acting this way, she just doesn't want to push him." she paused, turning around to face Mirajane and giving her her best smile. "Juvia will talk to him later," she promised.

Mirajane gave a little sigh and a nod. "Alright, if you think that's best. Good luck, then."

Juvia gave Mirajane a smile before standing up and heading to their table. Natsu and Lucy were already there, and it made Juvia feel better to see Gray and Natsu bickering like they always did.

"Cool it, Gray!" Natsu exclaimed, scowling.

Gray looked positively furious, and that was what made Juvia realize that something was definitely wrong. "You don't know _anything_!" he yelled, taking even Natsu by surprise. The guild went dead silent, all eyes turning to regard the ice mage curiously. Gray cursed under his breath and spun around, heading for the guild doors. He didn't even spare a glance at Juvia.

"Why would you say that?!" Lucy scolded, smacking Natsu over the head with one hand. "You idiot!"

"_Ow!_ I'm sorry, okay! I didn't mean it."

Juvia bit her lip, turning and running out of the guild doors after Gray. She hoped he hadn't gone too far. Glancing around, she couldn't see him in the crowds of people that were milling around. "Maybe he went back to the apartment," she murmured to herself, pushing through the crowds of people and heading towards the apartment. She fished her key out of her pocket, unlocking the door and peering inside. "Gray?" she called out tentatively, stepping across the threshold and glancing around. "Gray, are you here? Juvia saw you leave…"

There was no answer. Juvia frowned, closing the door carefully behind her. She poked her head round the corner into the living room, then headed down the small hallway and into the bedroom. Her worry melted a bit when she spotted her boyfriend perched on the edge of the bed. His hair hung into his eyes, and his head was bowed, his hands hanging limply in his lap. "Gray, what's the matter with you today?" Juvia asked softly. "You've been acting really weird since this morning. Juvia doesn't know what to do."

"Do you know what today is?" Gray asked, taking Juvia by surprise. There was a moment of silence and then Gray shook his head. "No, you wouldn't. That's okay." he sighed heavily and raised his head, rushing his bangs from his eyes. "I'm just sad, you know? Today's a bad day for me."

Juvia made her way over to the bed, sitting down beside Gray. "Do you want to tell Juvia about it?" she suggested.

For a long moment, Gray didn't answer. He clasped his hands together, and let out another sigh. "Today is the anniversary of the day Ur died. The day she really died, on Galuna Island. I guess I'm just… sad. And angry that I couldn't stop Lyon. She died because I wasn't able to do anything about it."

Juvia took Gray's hand, twining her fingers in his and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "It wasn't your fault," she insisted. "Ur did what she did for you because she loved you. Juvia - I don't think she would want you to cry over her."

Gray looked up in surprise. The only time Juvia spoke in the first person was when she thought something was really important. Juvia smiled at him, a smile that made him forget his worries, and, faintly, he smiled back at her.

"_Comfort_

_You always know just the right thing to say to me when I'm feeling sad. Even on the most depressing of days, you know how to bring a smile to my face and help me through the hard times."_


End file.
